Luke Coffey

Luke Coffey is Special Adviser to Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox.

Background

Coffey is a former US captain who gained a Masters degree in European Politics from the London School of Economics. Arriving in Britain in 2006, he began working for the Tory MP Mark Harper before applying to move to Fox's office.

Conflicts of interest

Despite concerns over Coffey's suitability for the role, Liam Fox defended the decision highlighting the "special relationship" between Britain and America. He added: "It’s not as if he is Russian". Concerns about Coffey centred on potential conflicts of interest; with particular anxiety about his role in a forthcoming strategic defence review - central to which is the British-American relationship and the future for defence procurement programmes. This compounds existing disquiet regarding Fox's apparent bias towards procuring cheaper military equipment from America rather than supplies from the domestic defence industry. Highlighting these fears, Labour MP and former special adviser in the MoD Michael Dugher remarked that:

This raises serious questions. At a time when the MoD is undertaking a sensitive defence review, vital to British national interests, is it really appropriate to have a foreign national and a former member of the US military employed by the taxpayer as a special adviser to the British secretary of state? It will only fuel fears that Liam Fox plans to tear up important contracts with UK-based suppliers — supporting thousands of British jobs — in favour of buying ‘off the shelf’ from the Americans.

U.S. defence lobbying

Coffey established the London chapter of American think tank the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs (CENSA) whose aim it is to "shape US national security policy" and "become the premier venue for virtual collaboration in addressing national security affairs and policy renewals".

Lack of security vetting

Coffey was granted an all access pass to the MoD in advance of being "defence vetted" by the security clearance process. The process, which can take months, was apparently delayed due to Coffey's nationality. In an article for The Sunday Times, journalist Isabel Oakeshott notes:

MoD sources say that until he has been cleared he will be working on a restricted computer and will not be allowed into the most confidential meetings. Since Fox became defence secretary there have been two highly sensitive briefings — on special forces and Britain’s nuclear deterrent — which Coffey was not allowed to attend. However, Whitehall insiders say he will still have ready access to highly confidential documents relating to security and commercial contracts.

Based on the sixth floor of the MoD, an enormous open plan office, he is likely to come across many documents stamped “UK eyes only” which are not intended to be seen by any foreign citizens. A Whitehall source said: “In this job you have incredible access to sensitive material. The offices are open plan and every desk has confidential papers on it. Because of the layout of the office, you can’t help but see this stuff.”

As a member of the US armed forces, Coffey will have taken an oath of allegiance to America, promising to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. However, he has told friends that his primary loyalty is now to Fox, for whom he has been working for several years. He works alongside another special adviser who is British.

The former armed forces minister, Labour MP Kevan Jones, tabled a question about the nationality of special advisers. This was blocked by Francis Maude due to the information being deemed "personal".